Volunteer with Karikuy: More literally in Quechua, this means volunteer with your heart wide open. That’s what you’ll be doing here in Lima when you agree to stay at the Karikuy bed and breakfast and donate your time. I am personally now a month into my program, and am soon on my way to see more of the country. But I will find it hard not to look back. Here’s some of what you can expect as a volunteer at Karikuy

Another chilly morning in Huaraz, and another dash to the bathroom to take a hot shower to warm up. Today would be one of those days that I would spend on the road for more then 12 hours, I was actually looking forward to it. Well at least the first half which involved driving through the spectacular sheer walls of el Cañon de Pato (duck canyon) on my way to Chimbote.

I woke up to a chilly Thursday morning in Huaraz not wanting to get out of bed, there’s something about cold floors I just don’t enjoy. I had spent the night trying as best as I could to keep warm, by now my body had adjusted to the warm nights of Lima, the change in temperature and altitude had begun to take its toll on me.

I woke up to a beautiful day in Casma so OK! here’s where things get very interesting. After a quick breakfast and thanking my family for their hospitality, I waved them goodbye as I made my way towards the bus stop at Alas Peruanas. My transport was a small blue bus that seated about 50 people. The 6 hour route this bus would follow is one known to few tourists, normally if you were to travel to Huaraz from Lima you would take a paved road that branches off the Pan-American highway near Barranca. This route known as the Callán Pass would see me climb to an altitude of 4,622 meters or 13,866 ft above sea level.

There is always an air of anticipation before going a long road trip. You hope that everything will go as planned, but as a seasoned traveler you know in your gut that nothing will, and that it’s better this way. It’s traveling into the unknown that makes road trips so attractive, and although I had traveled this route before I knew that it would not be the same.

About the Blog…

The Karikuy Blog was created by the founder of the Karikuy Organization to explore all aspects of Peruvian society through the voices of its citizens, tourists and volunteers. Together they provide the narrative for an in depth and unbiased look into the heart of Peru and its culture.

Traveling in Peru? Have an interesting story to tell? To get published on the blog contact us